Battle of Tocarema
The Battle of Tocarema (Spanish: Batalla de Tocarema) was fought between an alliance of the troops of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and zipa of the Muisca Sagipa of the southern Muisca Confederation and the indigenous Panche. The battle took place on the afternoon of August 19 and the morning of August 20, 1538 in the vereda Tocarema of Cachipay, Cundinamarca, Colombia and resulted in a victory for the Spanish and Muisca, when captains Juan de Céspedes and Juan de Sanct Martín commanded two flanks of the conquistadors.
| Battle of Tocarema | |||||||||
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| Part of Spanish conquest of New Granada | |||||||||
Map of the Muisca Confederation Tocarema is at the border of Muisca & Panche | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Spanish conquistadors Zipazgo of the southern Muisca | Caciques of the Panche | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Gonzalo de Quesada Juan de St. Martín Juan de Céspedes Pedro de Valenzuela Sagipa | Anolaima, Cochima, Lutaima, Lichinú, Ibiantor, Calandaima, Iqueima, Tocarema, Buluduaima, Matima, & Siquima | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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50-100 Spanish 4,000-20,000 guecha | unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Fatalities: ~100 guecha Wounded: many Muisca ~30 Spanish | unknown | ||||||||
Battle of Tocarema Location of the battle | |||||||||
The victory of the Spanish colonial powers over the Panche did not completely put down the resistance by the indigenous peoples from the western parts of Cundinamarca. Later conquest expeditions were needed to fully subdue the western neighbours of the Muisca, described by early Spanish chroniclers Pedro de Aguado, Pedro Simón, Juan Freyle, and Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita as bellicose and cannibalistic.